The Silver Mountain
by Elizabeth Tomlinson
Summary: Mt. Silver: the most dangerous place in the world of Pokemon. Hibiki's wanted to go there all his life. But when he finally gets the chance, he finds out that Team Rocket is back (again) and now, with the help of Trainers Haruka, Dawn, Touko, Lance, Red, and Touko's little brother Kyouhei, he has to find a way to stop them.
1. Chapter 1- Hibiki's POV

The first thing I noticed about Mt. Moon was its strange, abnormal emptiness. Usually, Silver would be standing right about there, waiting to playfully trash-talk me into a battle, like the good old days when we hated each other. The second thing I noticed was the Pokeball sitting right where Silver should have been standing. I walked over to the Pokeball, and the second thing I noticed was the note carefully placed under it. I picked up the note.

Hibiki,

I'm going away. I can't tell you where, but if you're smart, maybe you'll figure it out. For now, here's Meganium. Take good care of it.

Your friend,

Silver

Silver had never called me "friend" before. Never. And we'd known each other for five years. What was ironic about this sudden leaving of his was that I had come to tell him that I myself was leaving for Mt. Silver to train. I imagined the wisecrack he probably would have made about Mt. Silver being named for him, and next thing I knew I was bawling. HEre we have my only friend (besides Kotone, who I secretly hate- long story) and he simply vanishes. No Pokegear number. Not a hint of where he might be. Just this stupid note and this stupid girly Meganium.

I sat there crying and feeling sorry for myself for what fellt like an hour, and by then I had pulled myself together enough to send Lugia out of its Pokeball and have it use Hydro Pump on my face until I was soaking wet and take me to Mt. Silver with Articuno, Zapdos, and Mewtwo following by air. I landed in front of the sign that read, "Pokemon League: Viridian City Entrance."

I entered the building, still dripping wet, and walked up to the man guarding the entrance to Mt. Silver, He looked at me. "What happened to you?"

"I fell in a lake," I lied.

"You're Hibiki, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, let me just get out of your way. And be careful. Mt. Silver's Pokemon are a higher level than most other wild Pokemon. You'll need to watch out for them."

"What about Red? Do you know for sure if he's there?"

"No. Not for sure. After all, he's been up there for seven years, and I took this job last week. I'm not the one to ask. Try the nurse at the Pokemon Center."

"Okay." I walked through the doorway into Mt. Silver.

The mountain towered above me, and a field of cliffs and grass lay in front of me. I was speechless. This place was awesome.

I sent Zapdos out and said, "Zapdos, take me to the Pokemon Center here, okay?" Zapdos nodded and leaned forward so I could hop on it. It flew over the route. When it landed, I saw the Pokemon Center and was about to go in when I heard something. A person.

"Hibiki!"

I whirled around. "What the-"

Lance the Dragon Tamer stood about ten feet away. "Long time no see."


	2. Chapter 2- Dawn's POV

"You realize that this is a highly important task I'm asking you to do, Dawn, don't you?" Professor Rowan stood up.

"Yeah. What's the deal with Team Rocket, anyway? This is, what, the third time they've come back?"

"You would be right. Tomorrow morning, Skyla will arrive on Route 201 to bring you to the top of Mt. Silver. Please don't forget anything."

"Okay. And who do I look for once I get there?"

"A man in a black cloak. His name is Lance. He has always seeked out Team Rocket whenever they've been causing trouble."

"So he'll help me?"

"Yes. And so will your Pokemon."

Leave it to a Pokemon Professor to say something so cliche but true. "Okay." I stood up and left the lab.

Lucas, Barry, and I clinked our glasses of lemonade together, Barry making an exxagerated imitation of a fat drunk guy. Everyone in the cafe stared as he screamed at the football game on the flatscreen TV mounted on the wall as if he had any idea of what was going on, causing Lucas and myself to nearly die laughing. The chuckling manager asked us to either calm down or leave the cafe. We chose to leave.

As we left, Lucas asked me, "So, why'd you invite us out here, anyway?"

"Well, ah..." I hesitated before saying, "I'm leaving for Mt. Silver tomorrow."

Barry sprayed the lemonade he'd been drinking on the Jubilife City street. "You're leaving for _where?!"_

"Mt. Silver? But that's the most dangerous place on Earth! You'll get yourself killed!" Lucas said.

"It's all right. Giratina will keep me safe, and you know it."

"You're right. It's just that..." He trailed off.

"We don't even know why you're going. Can't you at least tell us that?" Barry asked, sounding concerned.

"Well, Team Rocket has been detected there, and basically all the regional Champions are leaving to clean them up."

Barry grabbed a piece of gum from his Bag and popped it in his mouth. "I like you're way of describing it."

I grinned. "Like they're litter. Which they are."

"We'll be able to see you off, right?"

"Yeah. I'm being picked up on Route 201 by that Unova Gym Leader with the plane. Skyla, I think."

"Yeah. Well, see you tomorrow, then." Lucas ran on ahead into Sandgem Town.

Barry smirked. "Sounds like Lucas. Leaving the emotional goodbye for tomorrow."

"Yeah."

We walked back to Twinleaf Town without another word.


	3. Chapter 3- Touko's POV

"Wake up!" My little brother Kyouhei dragged me out of the bed in the guest room at the Move Family's house. "It's time to leave!"

I sat up on the ground, still wearing my Lillipup pajamas. "Kyouhei, if you keep pulling crap like this, you can forget about coming to Mt. Silver with me. Now, where did I leave my clothes?"

"They're on that chair, sis." Kyouhei poionted to a chair where my clothes were neatly laid out.

"Thanks. Now get lost so I can change." He left the room. I changed, put my hair up, and put on my hat. My Bag was propped up against the wall, stocked to bursting with goods. I slung it over my shoulder and ran out of the house, where Kyouhei was waiting.

He sprinted to the airfield where Skyla's helicopter was waiting. there was someone leaning against it. "Hey, Touko," Cheren said.

"Hi, Cheren. Where's Bel?"

"She didn't come. She couldn't bear to have to say goodbye to you."

"You'll tell her I said bye, right?"

"Of course. I'll call you twice daily, too."

"I wish you could, but there's no service on Mt. Silver."

"Well, how am I going to know you're safe?"

"Are you crying?"

"No." He sniffed.

I hugged him. "You know I'm going to be fine. Reshiram can keep me safe. Reshiram saved the world of training from that green-haired perv N. It can keep me safe."

"You said it can, not it will," he sobbed.

"Okay, it will. Feel better?"

"Not really."

"Well, I really don't wanna leave you like this."

"So if I keep blubbering you'll never leave?"

"I didn't say that."

He pulled away from the hug. "Is there anything I can do to make you stay?"

I shook my head. "This is the third time Team Rocket's come back. I don't want to know what they're up to this time around."

"What if you get killed out there?"

I hugged him again. "Cheren, I swear I'm going to come back in one piece, just for you. After all, you're my best friend."

For a few minutes all I could hear was the sound of chirping bird Pokemon and Kyouhei whistling the theme song to his favorite action show and trying (and failing at) not to look awkward as Cheren sobbed into my shoulder. Finally, Skyla showed up with her pilot gear on. She opened the door to the helicopter.

"Come on, Touko!" Kyouhei said, hopping into the helicopter.

I released the hug. "See you, Cheren."

He forced a smile. "See you, Touko."

"Hey, I've got an idea," Skyla piped up.

"What?" I asked her.

"This here-" she reached into her bag and produced a Pokeball- "is a Carrier Pidove. You two can send each other Mail."

"Okay, first question," I said. "I thought it was a carrier _Pidgey._"

Skyla shrugged. "Same difference."

"Second question: Mt. Silver is a long was away from Aspertia City."

"There are Carrier Pidgey rest stops everywhere."

"Third question: Where am I going to be able to fit Mail? My Item case is full to exploding."

"Put it in one of the other cases, then."

"Okay." I took the Air Mail from Skyla and wedged it into my Key Items case, which I'd emptied of things I wouldn't need. such as my Bicycle and Prop Case. It fit perfectly. "Fourth question: What if I run out?"

"Ask the nurse at the Pokemon Center."

"There's a Pokemon Center?"

"Of course there is. Now, we have to make a trip to Hoenn, then Sinnoh, then Mt. Silver. Let's get a move on."

"Okay. Later, Cheren!"

"Later, Touko," he said as I hopped into the helicopter.


	4. Chapter 4- Haruka's POV

Route 102 was silent, save for the sound of chirping bird Pokemon. No Trainers in sight. The perfect time to be picked up by a helicopter. The only thing getting to me was that I hadn't said goodbye to Yuki or-

"Hey, Haruka! How's it going?"

Crap. Wally. I'd completely forgotten he came out here daily to train. Now I'd have to say goodbye to him, and there's nothing I dislike more than goodbyes.

"Well, I'm waiting for my ride to Mt. Silver."

"You're going to Mt. Silver?"

"Yeah."

"When will you be back?"

"Once we get rid of Team Rocket. This is the third time they've come back. This is crazy."

"They're not going to kill you, are they?"

"Did Team Aqua and Team Magma kill me?"

"No, but-"

"Plus, I've got Rayquaza. I'll be fine."

A helicopter whirred into sight and landed on the route, scaring Zigzagoon and Poochyena away by the flockful. THe door slid open, and a boy who seemed to be about Wally's age hopped out of it. "Are you Haruka?"

"Yeah."

"Come on. We stil have to go to Sinnoh."

"Okay." I got in the copter. "Bye, Wally! Say goodbye to Yuki for me if you see him!"

"Okay! Bye, Haruka!"

The boy slid the door shut. I took a seat next to a girl with her hair pulled back into a bushy ponytail. "I'm Touko," she said.

"Cool. I'm Haruka."

"And this is my little brother Kyouhei."

"Hi, Haruka!" Kyouhei said.

"What's he doing here?" I asked Touko.

"He just wanted to come."

"Isn't it-"

"-dangerous? Yes. But he's at the top of his class. And I have a legendary Pokemon. I'm assuming you, the Sinnoh Champion, and the two Champions that are already at Mt. Silver have legendary Pokemon. He'll be fine."

"I hope so. I'd hate for a, what, 11-year-old-"

"Ten-year-old."

"-yeah, whatever, a ten-year-old boy to get himself killed out here. I'd hold myself responsible forever."

"I probably would, too."

We said nothing until we landed in Sinnoh.


	5. Chapter 5- Dawn's POV

The helicopter landed smack on Route 201, and a flock of Starly fluttered away. The door to the copter slid open, and two girls and a boy hopped out. The boy pointed at Lucas. "Are you Dawn?"

"Does he look like a Dawn?" Barry snapped.

"Stop being such a pest!" the girl with dark brown hair said to the boy, then pointed at me. "_That's_ Lucas!" She looked over at me, and her expression changed. "Sorry. I'm Touko." She gestured to the other girl. "This is Haruka." She gestured to the boy. "And this is my little brother pest- I mean Kyouhei."

"I'm not a pest!" Kyouhei whined.

"Spoken like a true pest. Anyhoo, it's probably time for us to leave."

"Okay," I said, blowing out a puff of air. "Bye, guys."

"See you," Barry said.

"Bye, Dawn!" Lucas said, forcing a smile. He seemed rather sad, so I gave him a quick hug.

"Hey, do I get a hug?" Barry said, grinning.

"Sure." I hugged him and boarded the copter. I didn't look back out of fear that I might start crying hysterically.

Touko had already taken a seat and was dashing off a piece of Mail. "Whatcha doing?" I asked her, sitting down next to her.

"Writing Mail," she replied without looking up.

"How are you going to send it?"

"Carrier Pidove."

"I thought it was Carrier _Pidgey._"

"So did I."

"We are now arriving at the first Interregional Rest Stop. Current distance from Mt. Silver: 17,000 kilometers. When we land, a Pokemon Center will be to your left, and a fast food restaraunt will be to your right. Tell them you're with me and you get free lunch."

"Ooh, free lunch!" Kyouhei sprang out of the helicopter as soon as it touched down and darted over to the restaraunt.

"Kyouhei, wait! I'm not supposed to let you out of my sight!" Touko ran out after him.

I sighed and looked at Haruka. "This is what we'll be dealing with for who knows how long."

"Yeah. I'll be in the Pokemon Center if you need me." She left the helicopter and sprinted toward the orange roofed building.

I walked into the restaraunt. Touko and Kyouhei were at the counter ordering food. I noticed a pay phone on the wall. I walked over to it, dropped $10 in the slot, and dialed Lucas' number.

She picked up on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Hi, Lucas. This is Dawn."

"I thought there was no service on Mt. Silver!"

"I'm not AT Mt. SIlver. I'm at an interregional rest stop 17,000 kilometers from Mt. SIlver."

"Oh."

"And I figured I had $10 to burn, so I decided to give you a call."

I heard scuffling noises in the background and a muffled "Is that Dawn? Give me the damn phone!" before it settled. "Hey, Dawn," Barry chirped on the other end of the line. "Did anyone die yet?"

"Thankfully, no."

"That's good. Hey, what's that beeping noise?"

"Crap. I'm out of credit. I'll call you again at the next-"

"Please insert $10 to continue this call," the phone said in a monotone voice. I rolled my eyes and hung up the phone.


End file.
